Before anyone starts accusing Lifesite of “attacking the Pope” for presenting this video and article, let me provide context. Also, I must add that the opinions expressed in the video are those of Robert Spencer. They do not necessarily represent the views of LifeSiteNews.However, Spencer is no “Islamophobe” or hater of Muslims or of Pope Francis and the Catholic Church. He is a Christian who was a Eastern Melkite Catholic, but has recently converted to Eastern Orthodoxy.

More than that, however, Father John McLosky has written in the National Catholic Register that Robert Spencer is “perhaps the foremost Catholic expert on Islam” in the United States and he has written in many Catholic and non-Catholic Christian publications and programs. Therefore, what Robert Spencer has to say in relation to Islam should at least be given serious consideration.Robert Spencer presents well-researched, verifiable facts to help readers and listeners learn the truth about the great danger of Islamic jihadists and Sharia Law to the world. There is incredible ignorance and naivete about this in the West. Spencer has been attempting, at great risk to his own personal safety, to remedy that lack of public awareness on rapidly expanding, diabolical Islamist Jihadism.
In the case of this video, Spencer calmly presents legitimate concerns about what he believes would be the logical implications or real world perceptions by Islamists of Pope Francis’ statements and actions regarding Islam and the unchecked massive invasion of Islamist young men into non-Islamic nations. Given how deeply he is immersed every day in reporting on Islamist mass slaughters, violations of women and children and many other Jihadist depravities, it is no wonder that Spencer can seem rather harsh or blunt when discussing the pope and Islamism.A must-read is the “About Robert Spencer” page on his Jihad Watch website which Spencer describes as “an attempt to raise awareness about the activities of the global jihadists.”Spencer does not condemn all Muslims. On the contrary, as noted in Wikipedia,

“Spencer does not believe that traditional Islam is “inherently terroristic” but says he can prove that “traditional Islam contains violent and supremacist elements”, and that “its various schools unanimously teach warfare against and the subjugation of unbelievers”.[16] However, he rejects the notion that all Muslims are necessarily violent people.[16] He has said that among moderate Muslims, “there are some who are genuinely trying to frame a theory and practice of Islam that will allow for peaceful coexistence with unbelievers as equals.”The Robert Spender About page presents a very impressive, lengthy list of his past, high-level U.S. Military and government consulting and speaking engagements. Also listed are the numerous mainstream publications which have publiched articles by him and a long list of mainstream media on which he has appeared.Here is just one paragraph,

Spencer has led seminars on Islam and jihad for the FBI, the United States Central Command, United States Army Command and General Staff College, the U.S. Army’s Asymmetric Warfare Group, the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), the Justice Department’s Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council and the U.S. intelligence community. He has discussed jihad, Islam, and terrorism at a workshop sponsored by the U.S. State Department and the German Foreign Ministry. He is a consultant with the Center for Security Policy.To provide more necessary context for Spencer’s comments in this video, I have also added a series of past LifeSite articles, also based on credible research. The emphasis is on facts, not bias, prejudice or unjust discrimination.Considering how rapidly violent Jihadism has been spreading in the world and into Europe and North America, it is crucial that LifeSite readers take the time to become aware of this information. Ignorance of the realities of Islam could lead to catastrophic loss of freedoms and even of many lives in Western nations. Moderate, Sharia opposing Muslims, would be threatened at least as much as non-Muslims who refuse to “submit” to the jihadists.I add a caution not to condemn all Muslims, as some have wrongly been prone to do. That kneejerk reaction can only create enemies of those who would much rather be allies in efforts to reform Islam.
There are many Muslims who have fled oppressive, authoritarian and backward Islamist nations. They have sought to raise their families within the freedom, safety and opportunities of the nations to which they emigrated.Not only must we not lump them in with the violent Islamists, they need our friendship and help to resist the intimidation and threats they often experience from Jihadist Muslims who are also moving into the nations to which they fled.

Lastly, there have been credible reports that large numbers of Muslims have been quietly (for good reason) converting to the true religion of “peace” which is Christianity. Francis strongly opposes proselytism or actively leading non-Christians to experience the profound, life-changing gifts that come from giving one’s life to Jesus Christ and his true Church.Source: